AP Physics C: Universal Gravitation Review (Mechanics)

The video tutorial covers key concepts in gravitational physics, including the force of gravity, Newton's universal law of gravitation, gravitational potential energy, binding energy, escape velocity, and Kepler's laws of planetary motion. It explains the equations governing these phenomena, their applications, and the conditions under which they apply. The tutorial also addresses common misconceptions and errors in understanding gravitational potential energy and provides example problems to illustrate the concepts.

What is the equation for the force of gravity acting on an object?

• Force equals mass times distance

• Force equals mass times acceleration due to gravity

• Force equals mass times velocity

• Force equals mass times time

What is the universal gravitational constant?

• 6.67 * 10^-11 N m²/kg²

• 1.62 m/s²

• 3.14

• 9.81 m/s²

In the context of universal gravitation, what does 'R' represent?

• The radius of the object

• The distance between the centers of mass of two objects

• The radius of the Earth

• The radius of the orbit

What is the binding energy of an object?

• The energy required to keep an object in orbit

• The energy required to move an object to the center of the Earth

• The energy required to completely remove an object from a planet

• The energy required to move an object to the surface of the Earth

What is the escape velocity?

• The velocity needed to move between planets

• The velocity needed to enter orbit

• The velocity needed to escape a planet's gravitational pull

• The velocity needed to land on a planet

What is the total mechanical energy of an object in circular orbit?

• Negative

• Infinite

• Positive

• Zero

According to Kepler's first law, what shape are planetary orbits?

• Circular

• Elliptical

• Parabolic

• Hyperbolic

What does Kepler's second law, the law of areas, state?

• Planets move faster when closer to the Sun

• Planets move in a straight line

• Planets move slower when closer to the Sun

• Planets move at a constant speed

What is the relationship between the period of an orbit and its radius according to Kepler's third law?

• The period is inversely proportional to the radius

• The period is proportional to the radius

• The period is proportional to the square of the radius

• The period is proportional to the cube of the radius

What is the eccentricity of Earth's orbit?

• 0.5

• 0.017

• 0

• 1